Chicken Fried Rice

by Ellie Weightman, adapted from "Cooking with Paula Deen" cookbook

3 cups cooked rice (see RICE below)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

4 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

3 tsp sesame oil, (toasted or reg)

2 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup broccoli florets
4 oz sliced mushrooms
4 oz sliced water chestnuts, drain and rinse
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
1/8 tsp crushed red peppers

Garnish: Sesame seeds, chopped green onions

In a zip lock bag, combine chicken and 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce; massage and let sit 30 minutes while you chop your vegetables.

Remove chicken from soy sauce, discarding soy sauce.
 In a large wok, heat 1 ½ tsp sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes or until cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon; set aside and keep warm by covering.

Add eggs and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly until scrambled. Remove from pan; set aside and keep warm by covering.

Heat remaining 1 ½ tsp oil. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic and 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add broccoli and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.

Stir in pre-cooked rice, water chestnuts, peas, red pepper flakes, cooked chicken and any accumulated juices, scrambled eggs and remaining 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce.

Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions if desired. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Be careful adding any additional soy sauce, can be salty, so go easy.

RICE: Cook your rice earlier in the day or the night before. Put in bowl and cover. Put in refrigerator. If rice is pre-cooked and cool, it will not mush in the wok. You can use white, brown, long grain, basmati or whatever your preference.

Freezing Garlic

by Ellie Weightman

Buy your garlic in bulk, Sam's sells a large net filled with garlic for approximate $2.28.

Pull apart each head of garlic, separating each clove.  Remove the garlic paper from each clove.  Remove the top and bottom of each clove with a sharp paring knife.

Place all the cloves of garlic in a freezer bag, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil.  Close the bag, removing all the air then massage the oil into the garlic being sure that it looks like all the garlic is coated in the oil.  Mark the bag with permanent marker.  Lay flat in freezer only until frozen so avoid the garlic clumping together, then you no longer need to keep it flat.

To use: simply remove the amount of cloves you need and use a garlic press to chop. 

This method is excellent for using garlic in cooking, however, for dishes where you want fresh chopped garlic, this method may be work as well since it will be slightly soft after thawing.

I keep one head of garlic aside for fresh usage and freeze all the remaining garlic for cooking.

Homemade Bread Crumbs

by Ellie Weightman

1 loaf multi-grain bread
1/2 loaf whole wheat bread

Note:  You can use any type of bread you prefer

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

On a large cookie sheet, place pieces of bread without overlapping.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, then turn and bake other side for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Continue baking all the pieces of bread until complete.

After cooling, break each piece of bread into quarters.  Place the pieces of bread in a food processor, you will have to do this in batches - usually one cookie sheet of bread will fit in a 12 cup  processor.

Pulse at first, then run consistently until the breadcrumbs are of the consistency you prefer.

Allow to cool.  After cool, place in a freezer bag, squeezing out the air and store in your freezer for up to 3 months.  Lay the bag flat at first until the breadcrumbs are cold to avoid clumping, then you no longer have to lay flat.  Mark the bag as well as the date they will expire.  Scoop out as necessary for each of your recipes.

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

by Ellie Weightman

2 1/2 cups SELF RISING FLOUR

2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup shortening (or 1/2 cup butter and omit the shortening)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.  Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter/shortening until crumbly.  Stir in buttermilk until dough leaves sides of bowl.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons or a large muffin scoop onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 -18 biscuits.

Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

by Ellie Weightman - good on salads or used as a vegetable dip

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup mayonnaise (reg or lite)
1/2 cup sour cream (reg or lite)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vinegar
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp chopped chives
1/8 tsp celery seed

Combine all ingredients and mix well  with whisk.  Refrigerate overnight to incorporate.

IMPORTANT:  This dressing will only last a week or two in the refrigerate, mainly it depends on the date on the buttermilk and sour cream that you used.

Thousand Island Creamy Dressing

by Ellie Weightman - good in salads or on hamburgers

1 cup mayonnaise (lite or reg)

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients with a whisk until combined.  Refrigerate overnight to incorporate.

Store in a glass mason jar and keep refrigerated.  Will last a few weeks in refrigerator.

Zesty Honey BBQ Wings

by Ellie Weightman, adapted from RecipeZaar "Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings" #185892

Have lots of napkins, these are gooey and gooooood!

15 - 20 frozen chicken wings and drummies - thawed

Canola Oil

Dry Ingredients

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Sauce

1 cup smokey bbq sauce (Cattlemen's Smokey is good)
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp ketchup
4 drops Tabasco sauce
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 drops liquid smoke
2 tbsp dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees - you will have to raise the temperature after the first phase of baking.

Rinse and dry the wings with paper towels.  Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a plastic bag, place the wings. Pour the dry ingredients over the wings and close and shake the bag. to coat all the pieces.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Pour a few tbsp of canola oil over the foil to coat evenly.  Place the wings in a single layer on the cookie sheet and place in oven for 20 minutes.   Turn the wings over and cook for 20 more minutes. 

As the wings are cooking, make the sauce by slowly simmering the sauce ingredients over low heat, stirring frequently.

When the wings are done baking, remove from oven and raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Carefully dip them in the sauce and coat generously.  Put them back on the cookie sheet, and bake 10 more minutes.

Serve.

Make ahead dry seasonings and store in airtight jar

9 tblsp kosher salt
9 tblsp garlic powder
4 1/2 tblsp paprika
4 1/2 tblsp black pepper
3 1/8 tsp ancho chili powder (optional)
3 1/8 tsp cayenne

for each batch of wings, use 3 1/4 tsp of the dry seasonings per batch of wings per the above recipe